Warlords MC: Book 4 – Deuce : Chapter 9

Luna looked at him again and biting her lip, she had to know, “Do they love her? Will they take care of her? And will they raise her like their own, even if they have a child of their own someday?”

“Yes, to all the above,” Deuce assured her. “Jade looks at her like she’s her own daughter. She would give her life for that little girl. And I know she will love her even if Sable didn’t give birth to her. Jack thinks of them both as his and well, we all do.”

Luna laid her head back down on his chest and the sound of his heartbeat calmed her down. “Do you know how Collette died?” she whispered.

“No, I don’t,” Deuce replied with a heavy heart. But he knew when she told him, it would probably break his heart. The things she’d already told him were hard to take as it was.

Luna spoke softly, “Gauntlet came to see my father six months ago. He was pissed at the old man for some nonsense or another. I was drawn by the sounds of their fight that night. Usually, I avoid being anywhere near my father but something told me I needed to hear what was said. I thought I’d hear Colette’s name mentioned actually. Gauntlet told my dad his granddaughter was growing up fast and my dad said he didn’t have a granddaughter. Gauntlet assured him he did, then he proceeded to tell my dad he may not have a daughter anymore but he did have a granddaughter. Then he told my dad how Collette died. She had started labor but it wasn’t going fast enough for him. He told my dad how by this time he couldn’t stand her whining anymore and he just wanted out of their relationship, so he took the baby his own way. He sliced her belly open and took the baby. He had been hoping it would have been a boy but he hadn’t allowed her to see a doctor the whole time, afraid she would tell him everything to escape that way. Then he wrapped the baby in a blanket and left the apartment. He told my dad when he left she was still alive but he never went back. He just walked out and never went back. He left her there to die alone…” Her words trialed into a sob.

Deuce was right—she had broken his heart. He took a deep breath and asked, “What did your dad say?”

“Not a damn word,” she whispered with hate in her voice. “I knew then and there that he only cared for himself and I’ve hated him ever since. I always knew he was a cold hearted bastard but not to even care about his daughter dying like that? I lost whatever feeling I had for him that day, and believe me when I say, I didn’t have that much feeling for him left.” She paused then admitted, “That hate turned into rage and now, I just want him to burn in hell. But he isn’t going down alone. I want Gauntlet to be right next to him on the right and Guthrie on his left.”

Deuce just held her without saying a word for a long time. Then they heard a commotion from the other room and Deuce sighed, “Jack’s back.”

Luna’s arms tightened around him at the thought of facing yet another Bridges brother who maybe had reason enough to hate and resent her. “Do I have to meet him?” she whispered.

“Yeah, you do. He isn’t going to go away anytime soon.”

“I think I’ve had enough hate thrown at me for one day.”

Deuce’s arms tightened around her for a moment then he patted her hip. “I will make sure they cat like they should. I am the one that usually does, anyway. Come on let’s get this done.” He picked her up. “You shouldn’t be walking right now.”

When they got there, everyone glared at her, including the two new people. The woman had Annabelle in her arms and the newest brother had them both in his arms.

Deuce gently sat Luna down on her feet.

The new brother, Jack glared at Deuce and growled, “Deuce, what the fuck did you do? Why did you bring her here?”

Luna flinched and tried to hide behind Deuce.

Deuce growled at his brother. “Oh, fuck you Jack.”

“Please don’t do this,” Luna begged him quietly.

“Enough.” Charli got to her feet and faced the brothers. “Just fucking enough.” She glared from one to the other, including her own man. “None of you can visit the sins of her father on her, that’s just not fair any way you slice it. She hasn’t done anything wrong here and unless you’ve suddenly become God Almighty, you don’t get to judge her. If you’re mad at anyone, be mad at her father not her.” She growled. Then she took a deep breath and calmed herself down. “Now, I suggest you all settle down and get busy together to build the case to nail her dad.”

Deuce took Luna’s hand then walked her over to the kitchen table where he already had his laptop set up.

Shay joined them and asked Luna for the email address where she sent her father’s emails. When she typed it in, he sat down and began going through them.

When she showed him a list of her father’s bank accounts Shay didn’t hesitate to call in a warrant and get a freeze on every penny in the accounts. By the time he got done. Jedidiah Whittaker didn’t have a penny he could borrow on, nor remove from his accounts.

After a few minutes, he looked up at her and smiled. Then he began looking at the other emails and he even opened a few before he looked back at Luna. Picking up her hand, he kissed the back of it and had Deuce growling at him. “Honey, this is gold. This alone, will help us make the case stronger and it will lead us to file even more charges against him. What I wouldn’t give to get a list of his contacts worldwide.”

“That’s in there too.” Luna nodded. “Well, his most used contacts anyway.” She leaned over and showed him the file.

When he opened it, he looked astounded at how complete the list was. It not only listed names and dates of deals made, it listed what each deal was and how much money it had brought in.

Shay sat back and studied her for a moment. “I hate to ask this but how did you come to find this information?”

“When I found out how Collette died and my father did nothing to her killer, I wanted to hurt my dad. I got in on his computer and began looking for the way to hurt him the most. I thought if I could help take him down, that would hurt him where it mattered to him. I couldn’t bring my sister back and it wouldn’t help me find her child but I would have payback for her death.”

“And now?” Shay asked. “You found your niece and do you still want to bring your dad down?”

“God, yes,” she replied fervently. “He deserves no less. Annabelle deserves no less. You need to take my father down and then find Gauntlet. To get justice for my sister and all the other people they’ve hurt, maimed or killed. Annabelle will grow up in a loving family but they are basically strangers to her. She should have had her mother with her. That’s not to say she won’t be loved, and if asked, I will tell her about her mother when she’s old enough to understand. But here, she’s loved and so many kids never get to feel that. She’s lucky in that respect but she will never get to know her birth mother.” Tears formed in her eyes.

“You won’t take her away from us then?” Jade asked as she came over to the table. She was holding a sleeping Annabelle in her arms and Jack was a few steps behind her.

Luna ignored Jack and studied Jade carefully. “It was never my intension to take her away from a loving home. I just wanted to find her. To make sure she was safe, happy, and loved. I think she’s already had enough to deal with in her young life, don’t you?”

“What about your old man?” Jack snarled. “Would he come after her just to fuck things up?”

Luna didn’t look at him or bother answering him. She turned away and tried not to let his questions bother her.

Deuce stepped up but Jack wasn’t done with her yet. “Could Jedidiah Whittaker come after Annabelle?” He pushed the question loudly.

Deuce wrapped his arms around her and he felt her trembling.

“Jack, drop it. This is one you can’t win, drop it,” Ace told his brother.

“I want to know.” Jack stared at them. “Annabelle is my daughter now, so I have to know what danger is coming her way. I have to protect her.”

“It seems that today that bullet had been meant for little Annabelle,” Deuce replied. “So, yes. He is trying to hurt her. I’m unsure why and honestly, I don’t think Luna knows a why.”

“Because he is just evil!” Luna exclaimed as tears rolled down her cheeks. “That’s why! I spent years trying to figure out why he did the things he has. We will never know. He is evil incarnate…that is all I can say.”

Deuce told his brothers, “None of this is Luna’s fault, yet you’re heaping blame on her shoulders. She hasn’t done anything wrong here. Her father and Carmen Vance did the wrong. Put the blame on the right shoulders.”

Luna’s head shot up and she gasped. “What did you just say?”

“Carmen Vance is Gauntlet’s real name or one he uses.” Deuce frowned. “Why?”

“He’s Annabelle’s father?” she asked.

Deuce nodded. “Why?”

“I never knew his real name,” she whispered brokenly. “I never saw his face the night he told my dad about how Collette died. I just heard his voice.”

“What do you know about Carmen Vance?” Shay asked.

“I might know where he is right now,” Luna stated.

The room got so quiet—you could hear everyone breathing as they all stared at her. They had been trailing this Gauntlet for years. Thinking they had him, he would squirm away every time. The brothers all looked floored by her news.

“You…You know where the damn Gauntlet is?” Ace stated loudly, looking stunned.